


Almost, But Not Quite

by thatoldeblackmagic



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Misunderstandings, No angst zone, Tusk Love, and then Understandings as well
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-25
Updated: 2018-04-25
Packaged: 2019-04-27 14:55:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14427912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatoldeblackmagic/pseuds/thatoldeblackmagic
Summary: Caleb is about halfway through his second read of ‘Tusk Love’ when Molly joins him at his spot by the hearth.  Its familiar by now, the way Molly sits a bit too close to be entirely companionable, just close enough to touch if he ever decided to.  He never does though.  Caleb has recently started to wish that he would.





	Almost, But Not Quite

Caleb is about halfway through his second read of ‘Tusk Love’ when Molly joins him at his spot by the hearth. Its familiar by now, the way Molly sits a bit too close to be entirely companionable, just close enough to touch if he ever decided to. He never does though. Caleb has recently started to wish that he would. 

It’s just, Molly really isn’t being subtle. Not because he lacks the capability for it, but because he clearly wants Caleb, and by proxy everyone else, to know where his attraction lies. Which is equal parts flattering and confusing. Flattering in the way that Molly chooses to stay close to Caleb, the way he calls Caleb sweetheart, and how he only grins even wider when Caleb catches him blatantly staring. Confusing because of all the beautiful people they seemed to assemble in their ragtag little group, Molly has apparently decided he wants to fuck the dirty, shitty, hobo wizard. Even more confusing is how he flirts, teases, gets closer than anyone, but never initiates anything. 

Now, it’s fairly normal for Molly to flirt with his friends, sparing Beau and occasionally Nott. It’s clearly his way of displaying affection, his version of friendly banter. And banter is most certainly is with everyone else. Yet with Caleb, Molly will bait with coy words, close enough that Caleb can feel his body heat, then pull back at the last second. He’ll compliment, insinuate, and needle until Caleb can feel heat in his cheeks, then laugh the whole thing off as if it’s some joke. 

It’s frustrating to say the very least, and it’s getting to the point where Caleb just wants whatever this is to be over and done with. He isn’t quite sure what Molly wants from him, but maybe if he pulls Molly close and lets him get it out of his system, they can both go back to the way things were. 

The only real snag is, he wants Molly too, just not temporarily. He wants Molly for keeps, for the long haul. He knows Molly is beautiful, and kind, and has that sexy confidant thing going on which Caleb is apparently into. He knows Molly makes him feel comfortable in his own skin, and sometimes a little weak-kneed and silly. He knows that Molly probably doesn’t feel the same way. 

It’s a little bit scary how much Caleb has grown to like him. Molly, who is an honest liar, a genuinely good person, a flamboyant con-artist showman with a generous heart. He’s gorgeous, obviously, though Caleb tends to get more caught up in the way his clever hands fiddle with his cards when he wants to look bored, how his sharp eyes keep a protective watch over their friends. He taught Nott how to braid her hair the other day, using his own jewelry to clip her bangs out of her face, and Caleb almost couldn’t contain the swell of affection at the sight.

If all Molly wants is a quick fuck, Caleb can do that. It might hurt, but it’ll be easier than hearing Molly call him ‘sweetheart’ and having to fight back the hope that he actually means it. If Molly wants something else, then Caleb will just have to roll with the punches. Either way, Caleb is about to hit his breaking point with all this bait and switch bullshit. 

“Now, I’ve read that book, but I didn’t think it was quite that interesting,” Molly says out of absolutely nowhere. His voice pulls Caleb out of his own spiralling thoughts into the middle of a conversation he was in no way prepared for. 

Caleb blinks and tries to center himself back in reality. “Sorry? I do not know what you mean.”

“You haven’t turned the page in almost five minutes,” Molly responds with a sharp grin. “Smut is good and all, but it doesn’t require that level of concentration.”

It’s an offer to talk in the form of a joke, an opening if Caleb wants to take it as well as an out if he doesn’t. But, honestly. When has Caleb ever chosen to open up if he doesn’t have to? So instead he says, “I was counting the many creative ways the author can refer to genitalia in a single page.”

“Oh?” Molly leans in, almost closing the small space between them. “What’s the final count?”

“Seventeen.”

Molly scoffs. “That’s not many at all! I could think of more than that off the top of my head.” His grin turns a bit wicked as he continues, “Would you like me to share them with you?”

And, unfortunately, Caleb just can’t help but play along. It’s a little too easy to get sucked into it when it comes to Molly, and to be honest, he’s not really resisting. So Caleb deadpans, “You know I like it when you talk dirty to me.”

Caleb watches as Molly’s eyes widen a bit and his knife-point grin softens at the edges in surprise. Another offer in the form of a joke, this time to Molly. He could take it and run with it, making less and less subtle come-ons until this whole thing finally comes to a tipping point. 

He could, but he doesn’t. Instead Molly leans back, reestablishing the space between them and laughs. “Maybe later sweetheart.” His whole face softens, and Caleb swears he can feel a physical pang in his chest. Molly continues, “I didn’t actually come down here to talk about dick synonyms. Surprising, I know. I came down to strongarm you into to going the fuck to sleep. Even Nott is all tucked in at this point.” 

And there is is again. Flirt, flirt, flirt, laugh, then change the subject; nothing more yet nothing less. Caleb even reciprocated flirtatious interest, and still nothing changes. Molly must know that Caleb is his for the taking, if he would only just reach out and try to take. He has to have seen it the way Caleb can’t hold back his blush, the way Caleb sometimes also gets caught staring, right? In some mix of bravery, stupidity, and frustration, Caleb gives into impulse for once in his life and says, “Why do you keep doing that?”

Molly blinks. “Keep doing what? Making sure my friends get adequate sleep?”

“No. No not that. It is the- It is when-” Caleb blows out a frustrated sigh and attempts to reign back his self control and, you know, actually turn thoughts into comprehensible words. Caleb takes a centering breath and continues, “You flirt. With me. You flirt and then you back off. You openly check me out, then never do anything about it. You have made it very clear you’re attracted to me, which is baffling in its own right, but nothing has come of it. I do not understand.”

Caleb is certain that he’s never seen such blatant, open shock on Molly’s face before. His red eyes are wide open, blinking slowly as he processes the jumble of words Caleb threw at him. “I-” He starts then stops with uncharacteristic uncertainty. “I didn’t think you had realized.”

“Well, I have realized. You were very intentional about abandoning any subtlety. I just don’t-” Caleb cuts himself off. He doesn’t want to say it, but he knows he has to. He’s already come this far, but his sudden burst of bravery is rapidly fading leaving him exhausted and hesitant. With a small sigh, Caleb slumps down into the chair and runs a hand over his face. “I don’t know what you want from me.”

One heartbeat, then two, then three, and then finally, Molly crosses the gap. He reaches out and puts a hand on Caleb’s arm, rubbing small circles into the fabric of his shirt. “Oh sweetheart I had no idea. I thought that you thought I was joking. All I wanted was your attention, and all I want now is whatever you’re willing to give. If that’s nothing, then I’m fine with it. If you want me to stop flirting, just say the word, Caleb.”

Which isn’t a very clear answer at all. “I don’t get it.” Caleb responds, because he really truly doesn’t. “If all you wanted was my attention, why go about getting it in that way?”

Molly’s hand stops. “Caleb, will you look at me?” Slowly, Caleb turns back to face Molly. He looks serious, which is such a far cry from his usual lazy grin. The firelight plays off his jewelry, lights up his red eyes, makes him look terrible, beautiful, and everything Caleb has ever wanted. “I’m going to be upfront about this because clearly playing coy got me nowhere. I was flirting with you because I like you. Shit, I like you so, very much” He’s smiling now, small and self-deprecating. “I am attracted to you for sure, but more than that I just want to be with you. It was my impression that you were uninterested, and thought I was joking, so I tried to pull back before I did anything to make you uncomfortable.”

“You thought I was uninterested?” Caleb asks because how could anyone be uninterested in Molly? “Wait. You like me. You like me? Why? I am quite literally a garbage person.”

Molly’s lip quirks up at that. “A smokin’ hot garbage person.” Caleb lets his face fall flat, and channels his inner Yasha to make the most unimpressed face he can muster. It makes Molly laugh, soft and genuine, and Caleb feels like he finally did something right. “And a funny one too! Your understated dry wit is truly a thing to behold.” 

It’s enough to make Caleb smile, just a little bit, but enough that Molly notices. He feels lighter somehow. Molly likes him, it's not just a sex thing, though Caleb would still be cool if its partially a sex thing. Molly likes him, and only backed off because he mistook Caleb’s lack of engagement as disinterest. And oh, Molly thought he wasn’t interested.

“Wait, you thought I was uninterested. That is ridiculous.” Molly’s face does something complicated, his eyes pull tighter at the corners and flicker over to the fire. Then Caleb has his realization. “Do you still think I am uninterested?” 

“Uh.” Molly blinks, turning back toward Caleb. “Well sweetheart, I’m having some doubts about my original assumption, but you still haven’t really cleared anything up.”

Oh. Caleb reaches out for the remaining tendrils of the bravery that so quickly left him, and tugs on them with all his might. There’s not quite enough left for him to look Molly in the eyes though, so he focuses on the sliver of peacock tattoo showing along Molly’s shoulder. “I am interested. I like you very much, and I- I am not-” Caleb breathes, and decides to chance it. He’s not a betting man, he usually leaves that up to Nott, but this just might be worth it. So, Caleb puts all his cards on the table and says, “I am not there yet, but I can see myself falling in love with you given the opportunity.”

There’s a single beat of stillness, a sharp intake of breath from Molly, then the peacock abruptly gets closer until Caleb is all but eye to eye with it, his head mashed into the crook of Molly’s neck. He feels Molly’s hand wrap around his back and snake up into his hair, with one horn poking a little uncomfortably into his temple. “Caleb. Caleb, oh sweetheart what am I going to do with you. I’ve been tentatively hitting on you for weeks then you go say a line like that with barely any prompting.” He pulls back and gently lifts Caleb’s chin to look him in the eye once more. Molly blushes a dark almost maroon shade of red and it is absolutely the most charming thing Caleb has ever seen. “Caleb, darling can I kiss you?”

“You most certainly may,” Caleb says as he leans forward to meet Molly in the middle. The hand slides from his jaw back into his hair, pushing his bangs behind his ear, as Molly closes the distance. The kiss is sweet, and warm, and a bit heady. Caleb could very quickly get addicted to the feel of Molly’s hand in his hair, or how he can feel the cool metal of Molly’s jewelry on his cheek, or even the occasionally clumsy bump of their noses as they adjust to each other. It’s everything Caleb had never even dare hope for. 

It’s enough to make Caleb lose track of his surroundings, being tangled up with a beautiful tiefling in front of the fire of a fairly public establishment, which Caleb unfortunately is reminded of when a bar patron loudly wolf whistles at them. Which makes Molly pull back laughing, and Caleb hide his face in Molly’s coat. 

“Don’t worry sweetheart,” Molly whispers into Caleb’s ear. “That rude, drunk, man clearly doesn't know how to appreciate a beautiful moment, though he does have good taste.” He sits back, and lets his hand stay around Caleb’s back, playing with the ends of his hair. “We may have to save the rest for a different time. For now, tell me what part you were at in your book.”

Caleb sits up, with his left side pressed against Molly. He leans in as much as he can without tipping them both over, and feels Molly’s chin come to rest on his shoulder. “That scene where Oskar and Gwen fuck in the rose garden.” 

“Oh! That’s my favorite bit! Those awful ‘blooming flower’ metaphors are absolutely incredible.” Molly turns his face into the side of Caleb’s neck, so Caleb can feel the smile on his lips. “Will you read it out loud? You know I like it when you talk dirty to me.” 

Caleb smiles, and obliges, quietly but with enough melodrama and emotion to keep Molly laughing. It’s certainly not how Caleb thought this night would end, reading smut outloud to a giggly tiefling, but all in all it’s not a bad way to send off the day. Especially when everytime Molly laughs, his whole frame shakes with it and he buries his face even further into the crook of Caleb’s neck. 

They stay like that for a while, finishing one chapter, then two, with Molly reading as Gwen and Caleb putting on his best Fjord impression for Oskar. Caleb feels warmth like he never has before, feels love like he never thought he could. 

And it’s true, he isn’t quite there yet, but he very quickly may be. It’s a bit scary, a lot thrilling, and it makes something in his heart sing.

**Author's Note:**

> teach me how to write endings smh  
> anyway disaster tiefling is into trash wizard and i need jester to start another fun sleepover game of 'truth or truth' so we can get more info about this C R U S H.


End file.
